Moments Captured in Amber
by LieutenantScribbler
Summary: Basically a collection of one-shots of my Bounty Hunter, Mai'lynnda, and her wily and witty beloved, Gault Rennow. Because some bounty hunters just can't embrace the Mandolorian "Do it for the HONOUR" concept.
1. Chapter 1: Curiousity

"How old are you, anyway, Gault?"

"Eh...Thirty-something, I suppose. You?"

"Twenty...six? No, twenty-seven."

Golden eyes flickered over her for a moment, then returned to re-calibrating his sniper rifle. "You look younger than that. Let me guess, it's the Twi'lek physiology, huh? I knew you were cheaters at sabacc, but hey, leave some competition for the rest of us, will you?"

The hunter rolled her eyes. "You don't look bad for mid-thirties, Gault. Downright dashing with the rugged spacer look you've got going there."

Gault looked at Mai in surprise, but the lady in question had already pulled her camping blanket over her lithe body, using a log as her pillow. His angular face grinned sharply.


	2. Chapter 2: My Legacy

"Who's that?"

Gault had indicated a holo of a Twi'lek woman that looked startlingly like Mai'lynnda; the same skin shade, freckles and face shape. Tattoos, eyes and headbands were different, but they were definitely related.

Mai sank back into her layers of blankets wordlessly, her blue eyes dimming. Gault returned to his edge of the bed, curling his arm around Mai's form. He looked tenderly at the Twi'lek who would always confound him, and touched his nose to the underside of her lekku, tickling her.

"Didn't mean to pry. You know me, Mai. Curiosity shot the Deveronian. Or at least gave him the silent treatment."

Mai smiled at that, which made Gault smile as well. "There you are, gorgeous."

She nuzzled her head into the crook of his shoulder, her lekku tickled by the skin of his arm. "Her name's Di'zana. She was a smuggler. Part-time privateer for the Republic, too. She was my mother."

"So she's the esteemed Mrs. Riggs-Zhang. Huh. Now I'm curious, where did your blue eyes come from?"

"Look at the picture of the woman above her."

Gault looked, and saw another Twi'lek woman with green skin and dark tattoos, bright blue eyes like Mai's with matching freckles and headband too. She was dressed in leather Jedi-looking robes.

"Your grandmother?"

"Mm-hm."

"Now that's just ironic. Mandalorian bounty hunter with a Jedi grandma."

Mai giggled slightly, the girly kind she only made when she was tired and talking to Gault. "Never thought of it that way, Gault. Better hope Mandalore and Torian never find out. They'll think I cheated."

"Jedi magic can't do everything. They of all people aught to know that."

Soon, he settled into a rhythm of stroking the sharp black tattoos that criss-crossed Mai's lekku, causing her to shiver with delight and contentment. When the stroking slowed to a subconscious movement, and Gault's breathing slowed, Mai sighed.

"Love you, you wily, witty, rugged-looking space trash."

* * *

 **So, yes, these aren't going to be in chronological order. And yeah, this kinda implies that the're sleeping together. So sue me. I kinda messed with what I approximate to be Gault's canon age, making it into early thirties, as I mentioned in the first one. :)**


	3. Chapter 3: First Moment

Mai's blue eyes got wide as she saw the newly re-christened Gault Rennow pull a sniper rifle out of one of his bags. It was an expensive thing, well-upgraded and taken well care of. Her hands twitched as she imagined taking apart the weapon and upgrading it adequately.

Mako, having known Mai for almost a year now and noticing her fidgeting hands, grinned and giggled as she told Mai, "How 'bout you and _Gault_ take time getting to know each other? I'm headed back to the ship."

Mai gave her sidekick a look that was equal parts murderous and panicked, which simply tickled Mako even more. Mai rolled her eyes as the cyborg openly laughed. Gault Rennow looked between the two new teammates with what could've been concern; though for who, it wasn't clear. Probably, he was thinking, _What in the galaxy have I gotten myself into?_

The first few kilometers walking with Gault were filled with a rather awkward silence. Which, of course, Mai broke awkwardly saying, "So, we were never properly introduced. My name is Mai'lynnda Moran. My sidekick back there is called Mako. It's a pleasure to be your employer, Gault Rennow."

"My honour to be working for the galaxy's most wanted, rather," The Devaronian said with a smirk.

Mai snorted. "Unlikely I'm ever going to gain that distinction. Republic and Empire are too busy hissy-fitting at each other to worry about a little merc like myself."

"Never underestimate what people will blame on you," Gault offered sagely.

Mai looked curiously at her newest companion. "Huh. Don't impress me all at once now. Sage advice and good humour. If I find out you can actually fight with that sniper-rifle, I might not let you leave. A kid sister and a droid aren't much company."

That prompted the first time Mai ever heard Gault's laugh. It was a rather infectious laugh, tugging at the corners of her lips too much for her to resist. This was...different. Maybe _she_ should be the one wondering what she's gotten into.


	4. Chapter 4: Temperature

The night that the crew of the _Celestial Serpent_ lifted off from Tatooine, Mai'lynnda lay flat on her bed, thinking about her new crewmate. Mai hadn't planned on gathering her own motley crew of scoundrels like her mother had, and had in fact been repulsed at the idea until Gault had quite literally begged for mercy.

Since there was now a male being on the ship, Mai supposed she and Mako would have to dress a bit more modestly. She looked down at her tank top and capris, and felt her face flush a little at the thought of her new crewmate seeing her in this.

Mai suddenly grinned, An Idea growing in her mind. Maybe she could mess with the temperature control. On the one hand, she could mess with Gault and have a perfect reason to wear those hoodies she spontaneously bought on the Imp fleet. On the other, she and Mako had talked about hospitable temperatures, and Mako had threatened to wreck havoc on Mai's meticulously organized holovid collection should the Twi'lek make the ship 'sweater weather' ever again.

Mai'lynnda smiled, and reached for the wall computer, adjusting the climate control. Snuggling into her blankets and sweatshirts, Mai smiled at the thought of the next morning.

* * *

Mai's bare feet were curled up against the cold on instinct as she walked down the stairs to the galley, in long black sweatpants and a black and red sweatshirt with a simple logo that looked very similar to the SoroSuub blaster design. Judging from the lack of noise, her two crewmates were either in their respective rooms or Mako was on the bridge by her self and Gault was...somewhere? Whatever. There was caff to be made, and crewmates not to think about so early in the morning.

She was singing softly as she made caff, a mostly-nonsense tune her dad had taught her in childhood. Mai cut off her singing completely at the sound of footsteps, and looked up to see Gault Rennow, clad in fuzzy purple socks, red flannel pants that almost matched his skin tone and a deep green sweatshirt, glaring at her from the doorway.

Mai could only smile politely at him as she reached for another mug. "Care for some caff, Gault?"

Apparently, the temper of Gault Rennow had nothing when confronted with unexpected politeness and the promise of caff. He blinked in surprise, before replying, "Sure. Might give me back my sense of smell."

Mai'lynnda tried to look contrite. "Didn't know Devaronians were so susceptible to the cold, 'specially after at least a year or two on Tatooine. Plus, I've been meaning to mess with Mako for a while now. Our prank war has had too long a truce."

That last made Gault smirk, though he offered no reply. They drank their caff in peace, or at least they did until Mako came down from the bridge in tauntaun slippers, a large fuzzy robe made of soft uxibeast-fur and wearing bantha-hide gloves on her hands.

The small cyborg shook a tightly-clenched fist at the bounty hunter. "What d-d-did I t-tell you about-t ch-changing the t-temperature control, Mai?"

Mai smiled. "You know how much free time we have between jumps, Mako. I'll just re-organize the discs in a day or two."

Mako then whirled around to Gault. "You're not opposed to any of this?"

Gault smiled into his caf. "Frankly? I'm not going to argue with our Madam Employer over there. It's not like this temperature will kill us." Then he turned to Mai, faux fearful, "It's not gonna kill us, right?"

Mai laughed, trying to hide it behind her hand, stifling it into little chortles. She shook her head, half to distract from her laugh (which she was kinda embarrassed about) and half because this was working out much better than she had ever thought.


End file.
